On the last Mangalbar (Tuesday) of the month of Mangsir, 38 flower palanquins were brought to the Thanimai Temple, located in Basantpur, Bhanu Municipality-7, Tanahun. Devotees from Tanahun, Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lamjung, and Nawalpur participated in this sacred ritual, bringing their flower palanquins as part of the religious observance.
The President of the Temple Management Committee, Jeevan Thapa, shared that a total of 5,028 devotees performed worship during the event. Additionally, 207 people took part in the tradition of lighting lamps during the night vigil (Jagar) held on Monday. Earlier in the month, on the first Mangalbar of Mangsir, 43 flower palanquins were offered, while 26 were brought on the third Mangalbar. Due to Ekadashi, there were no flower palanquins brought on the second Mangalbar.
Every year, on Mangalbars of the months of Kartik, Mangsir, Magh, Falgun, and Chaitra, devotees from across the country bring flower palanquins to the Thanimai Temple. These Mangalbars attract large crowds of people who believe that offering the flower palanquin will fulfill their wishes.
Devotees, with the accompaniment of the traditional “Panchai Baja” (five musical instruments), walk around the temple three times while singing and dancing. After completing the circumambulation, they tie the toran (decorative sacred cloth) carried with the palanquin around the temple’s deuls (shrines) on the hilltop. Following this, they enter the temple to offer their prayers, expressing gratitude for their wishes being fulfilled.
The area of Basantpur echoes with the sounds of the victory chants of “Thanimai Ko Jayjaykar” (Victory to Thanimai) as devotees proceed with their offerings. The tradition of preparing the flower palanquin after performing the Satyanarayan Puja and bringing it to the Thanimai Temple has been a long-standing custom.
Apart from Shrawan, Ekadashi, and Amavasya (new moon), the temple hosts worship on all other days of the year. Situated at an elevation of 1,200 meters above sea level, visitors to the temple can enjoy panoramic views of the Himalayan ranges, including Laxmi Bazar in Gorkha, Liglig Kot, Palungtar, and Rainaskot.
The temple was severely damaged during the earthquake of April 25, 2015, but has since been rebuilt. The reconstruction was completed with funding from the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, which contributed NPR 1.4 million, and NPR 600,000 collected through donations to the temple, totaling NPR 2 million. The temple believed to have been established in 1825 B.S., has been an important religious site in the region.
